


Shifted

by Lawfuless



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aborted Undertale Genocide Run, Alternate Universe, Good W. D. Gaster, Pre-Undertale Pacifist Route, Undertale Neutral Route, Undertale Reset Issues, W. D. Gaster is not related to Skelebros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 05:45:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7254907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawfuless/pseuds/Lawfuless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He reached out and he touched something in the void. Something solid. Then it was gone. When it came again, he took a hold of it, and when it left, he went with it."</p><p>An AU with the idea of Gaster somehow managing to grab a Blaster while it was dismissed to the void, and coming back into reality with it. ...Things don't end too well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out of The Darkness And Into The Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it wasn't clear; I only really own the idea. And that's kinda vague, but that's kinda the point. Undertale belongs to Toby Fox, and I honestly don't know if anyone else has even imagined this kinda thing before, so I'mma play it safe and say that. That isn't to say others can't use it, or expand upon it. Hell, that would be the best thing ever if you did.

He slowly blinked. Then he froze. He could see. It wasn't the endless black. It had worked. He had latched onto the creature that had entered the void, and--

"what in the hell?" Sans, his previous assistant stared at him. He blinked, cocking his head in confusion. Then he felt a hand on his head and an instinctive calmness filled him. He relaxed into the snow.

"...what even are you? you're not a gaster blaster. and you're not a proper skeleton." That hit something and he blinked more awake. He shook his head, retreating from the hand. He paced, trying to figure out what he meant, but froze on a turn, seeing a tail. He startled, blacking out.

When he came to, he was on his side. A sight of destruction was before him, and a heavily breathing Sans beside him, palm on his head. "you calm now? huh. good. now before you freak out again, how about you take a deep breath, then think about the situation."

When he woke up a second time, there were arms around his head, encircling what felt to be his jaw, and face. But it was extended out, like a muzzle. "alright, no thinking. just relax." and he did. Or, at least, he tried to. He heard someone else approaching and wriggled in panic. His strange form worked almost like his old one, save for the fact his arms worked like feet and he had a tail.... So, not really at all like his old form.

"paps, get away from it. it's dangerous, and i don't know if he'll hurt you." But 'Paps' didn't care, sitting at his side and petting the spines on his back. Then his ribs. His arms and legs down to the claw-ish feet. He pet the tail, and played with it. He patted his head, and rubbed at the horns. Gaster settled down completely, eyes closing as he took in his new form with Pap's help. Then, when he felt the petting stop, and the hand remove from his muzzle, he looked up. The two skeletons were looking at him. Sans looked worried, while the taller one- was Papyrus really the younger brother Sans spoke so fondly of?- looked excited.

"SEE? HE'S JUST FRIGHTENED!" he shouted, hands on his hips. Gaster slowly nodded, climbing shakily up. It felt easier to stand on his front paws as well as his back ones, so he did, shaking slightly before settling. Sans, getting a better look, inhaled sharply.

"gaster?"


	2. Given New Meaning

He lay on the couch, resting mostly on Papyrus' lap. The other kept petting him while they contemplated the situation. Due to Gaster's inability to talk, Sans was unable to question him; And Papyrus, unable to recall Gaster, couldn't have the situation properly explained to him. Sans sat on the arm of the chair, looking at him intensely. Sure, they could claim he was a pet, or even a relative. But could he stay with them? SHOULD he stay with them? After all the destruction...

Still, he made Papyrus happy, and it was hard to say no to that. Plus, with no one remembering him, it wasn't as though they needed to worry about the other monsters questioning him or them. He waved his tail at Sans, whining. Looking for an answer. Finally, Sans huffed. "Yeah yeah, you can stay." he finally agreed. The other leapt up, bouncing off the couch and twirling to face him. His tail waved cheerily. He yipped, getting down as though getting ready to pounce. For a brief second, his eyes whited out, and Sans panicked, worried he was about to blast something. Instead, he made some strange noises and sounds.

Then, even more excited than before, Gaster opened his mouth completely, jaw separating. More of the strange noises left him, and Sans slowly realized what they were. He blinked, then laughed. "wingdings. 'course." He snorted, shaking his head. He didn't understand the language well enough that he could understand Gaster, but it was a step for the better. If he could speak Wingdings, he had to be able to speak Aster as well. One would hope, at least. "there's hope yet." he added mirthfully to Papyrus who huffed.

"THERE ALWAYS WAS HOPE FOR HIM, SANS! SINCE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HERE, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT!" he proclaimed, then patted a leg. When Gaster came over, he was subjected to further petting. Sans didn't quite have the heart to tell him the truth about their apparent pet. "NYEH HEH HEH! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE JUST FOUND HIM. DOESN'T HE HAVE AN OWNER?" And suddenly Papyrus looked concerned. "SHOULD WE RETURN HIM?"

Sans shook his head. "bro, he doesn't have anyone anymore. i can assure you." he noted, patting one of the spines on Gaster's back. There were so many things he wanted to know. Wanted to ask. How did he end up like that? How did he come back? How did he get forgotten in the first place? ...Still, it wasn't something he would know any time soon. "we're all he's got for now. what a  _bonely_ predicament, eh bro?" And Papyrus huffed, throwing his hands up as he got up and stomped his foot. "you love my puns, paps."

"I DO AND I HATE IT." Papyrus retorted. Then he settled. "WELL THEN. THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HAVE TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI TO CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION. TO OUR NEW COMPANION, GASTER!" With that, he was into the kitchen, ready to cook up a storm.

Sans sent Gaster a look. "if you don't eat it, you're gonna stay outside for the night." he warned, one eye glowing blue. Gaster rattled apprehensively, then glanced into the kitchen with what could only be described as concern. "eh, don't worry about it too much. it'll go right through ya." he winked, and the Blaster growled, padding away. It stopped at the sock, deciding it would explore. But first, it was interested in that. He squinted, trying to read the little writing. He snickered, then grabbed the sock and padded upstairs. When he arrived at Sans' room, he found himself frowning, and set down the sock with some of the other laundry. He waved his tail anxiously, and then let his mind wander.

When he returned to though, hearing Papyrus calling for him, he realized with a start he had cleaned most of the skeleton's room, and had been pushing a laundry basket out the door. He continued pushing it before leaving it for a moment. He trotted downstairs. When food was put before him he ate. And ate. And ate. He quickly cleaned the plate and waved his tail at Papyrus. Who looked frankly startled. He put another helping down, and that was devoured as well. The bone of the muzzle was slightly stained with spaghetti sauce. Sans put down his plate, and it was also gobbled up. Gaster, however, laid down after that, tail waving lazily.

"huh. didn't expect that." Sans noted. It took a few moments for Gaster to recover, then he began looking around. When he found the sink, he waved his tail cheerily, then headed upstairs again. Soon enough, he showed up with the basket, and to Papyrus' amazement, the skeleton leapt up to the sink with it and began.... doing Sans' laundry. He stared, jaw hanging open a bit. Then he closed his mouth, looking at his brother. Who seemed just as surprised. "didn't expect that either." he admitted.

Gaster, when finished, leapt down. He took the clothes to the upstairs railing and hung them on it to dry. He wandered the house, cleaning a few more things, then settled in a corner. Papyrus smiled, then carefully lifted the now snoring Blaster. He carried him to his room, setting him on the foot of his racecar bed. Gaster snuggled in, then snored softly. Sans shook his head, then decided to check up on his room. Clean. And tidy. He knew Gaster used to clean when he was upset- that was one of the few reasons the lab was always spotless- but he wasn't sure how much of his personality remained. Some of it seemed to be that of the Blaster.

Heading up the stairs, making sure Papyrus was busy, he moved the portrait, then peeled off some of the wallpaper. A door, old and unused, rested there. He opened it up. An old bed, a closet, and a desk with carefully filed notes. He headed downstairs. Papyrus was in the kitchen. He headed to Papyrus' room. He lightly shook the blaster, waking him. "hey. come here." he nodded towards the door. Gaster got up, and tiredly followed. He was soon before his door. His tail stopped waving, and he looked up. Sans nodded. Slowly, he reared onto his hindquarters and used a paw to open the door. He the went back to all fours, padding into the room. Then he went to the bed, climbing up and curling under the blankets. Old, but his.

"g'night, Gaster." He murmured. He closed the door, but swore he heard a faint 'Goodnight, Sans' in reply...


	3. Hiding Away In Plain Sight

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?" If he were to be honest with himself, he had actually kinda ignored Papyrus for the sake of clean sheets. However, at the direct usage of his name, he looked up-- and felt his heart stop for several moments. Gaster, still mostly blaster save for somehow missing many spiky parts that would have made his feat impossible, was wearing clothes. His own clothes, for that matter. A white turtleneck and a black jacket which was a bit too small. He wore a pair of pants with a small hole cut for his tail, which waved lazily. He even wore a pair of glasses on his face, held there with tape. Yeah, it was adorable. At the same time, it kind of scared him.

Gaster sat, looking casual. Almost crossed his foot over the other. That reminded him of the countless nights they'd spend talking about things at the lab, Gaster's magic hands signing frantically as they tried to keep up with his speech. Always so passionate. He'd come to be able to understand the hands as well as the words and their meaning. Gaster had always been his close friend, and then later his mentor. They'd grown up close to each other, with Gaster only a few years older. He had gone to war while Sans was lucky enough to stay at home. And when their kind was almost wiped out, Gaster had been there to look after them. He had built the house. He had fixed it up. He had gotten what they needed to live. He had loved them like his own.

He almost teleported away. Out of shame that he never saved him. Out of unease, because of how everything felt so wrong and he just couldn't handle it. Out of cowardliness because he didn't know what else to do. But as good as he was at reading Gaster, Gaster was better at reading him. He stood up, waved his tail, then yipped as he turned and left, as though giving a farewell before leaving. Sans shook his head, sighing. Papyrus was giving him a funny look. "BROTHER, YOU ARE ACTING STRANGE. WHAT IS THE MATTER?" he asked. Rubbing his skull, Sans couldn't think of what to say.

"just thinkin', paps. nothing's really up." A blatant lie, but he hoped he could play it. Still, he felt the bed dip down. he knew he wasn't getting away with that today. "...i'm just getting hit by a lot of nostalgia, and i don't know what to do about it. really. no need to worry bro. do you remember our pet dog, fluffy? scruffs to me. you loved that dog. brought him everywhere. ...gaster just reminds me of him. i'm glad you have a new friend is all, paps. but it's still... i dunno. makes me feel old, i guess." he peeked out of the covers at Papyrus, who looked at him sympathetically.

"OF COURSE. DON'T BE SAD, DEAR BROTHER! FLUFFY WAS A GOOD PET. HOWEVER, GASTER IS A BETTER LISTENER, AND A GOOD COOK! APPARENTLY HE DOES OMELETS." This was accented by a quiet 'thunk' as a plate was set down by Gaster. The skeleton rested his head on Sans' bed, tail waving. "HONESTLY, SANS, YOU SHOULD GET UP AND TRY SOME." Which was hard for him to judge if that meant it was good or if it was Papyrus' way of telling him he had to get up. Either way, he dragged himself up.

Gaster trotted back out, apparently to do something else. Sans would have to check on him later. He grabbed the plate and utensils, cutting up the omelet and shoveling some pieces into his mouth. It was good, he would agree with Papyrus on that one. He quickly cleaned his plate, then glanced up. "you know, breakfast in bed is new. even for me." Sans chuckled softly to himself, then he tilted his head. "what's up?" he finally decided to ask. He felt he should have recalled, but everything was jumbled up in his mind ever since Gaster literally appeared before him.

"HOW COULD YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN WORK SO QUICKLY, SANS?!" Papyrus wailed in disbelief. "WE HAVE TO GUARD THE RUINS IN CASE A HUMAN COMES." And there went his appetite and good mood. The human. He had forgotten too quickly. The reason he had been practicing with the blasters in the first place... Had been the human. The image of Papyrus' dusty scarf still remained seared in his mind. He felt his hands clenching around his blankets. "WELL, GET UP AND GET READY! WE'LL LEAVE IN AN HOUR." With that, his brother left.

Sans got up, heading to the kitchen. As he did the dishes, his mind wandered. Usually he wouldn't bother, but for now he needed something to do so he didn't try to hurt someone. He was scrubbing a plate when it was suddenly removed from his hands. " _You'll break it._ " A gentle voice intoned. He looked over, then stilled. Gaster. Almost normal, save for a few parts that were too animalistic. Like the small muzzle, or short tail. " _You have something on your mind that you don't want to talk about with Papyrus. ...Meet me in the lab. We'll discuss it there._ " And then he was back to mostly blaster, trotting out the door on all fours.

Sans entered the lab to find the regular scientist leaning against the wall by the blueprints. He didn't speak. They did this whenever either one of them got upset and needed to talk. "...there's a human comin' today. and i... i'm not sure what to do anymore. sometimes, they act nice. other times, they kill papyrus. they're, or at least some power they have is, the reason that the timeline was jumping around. why things ended and began suddenly. their determination lets them come back endlessly until they give up for good. and i can't stop them. they've grown too strong." Gaster listened patiently to him. Sympathetic as always. "i don't know what to do, G."

"First, you need to let go." Gaster said. "Let go of the emotions. Let go of the feelings, and the memories. Look at the facts. ...Have they always killed? Have they ever spared everyone? Do you have a way to judge how they'll react? These things need to be thought upon before one takes action. ...And if you think you need to, end it before it begins. But only if you need to. However, consider the consequences. They could come back more angry. Or more determined. I am here now to help, but for now, I'll only watch. I have limits as much as you, and now that I have a new form to get used to... Well other things are on my mind. The fact of the matter is, think rationally. Consider before you act."

Sans slowly nodded. "...you gonna go back to the other form? ...can't talk in it, can you?" As he watched, the scientist changed, falling to all fours. He shook his head as his tail grew suddenly and skull morphed. He managed to stop before he ripped his clothing, but it was easy to tell it was straining. "...well, we'll figure the rest out later. ...for now, i have a human to meet. and a brother to protect." Gaster nodded. As Sans left, the older skeleton seemed to grow concerned. But when he glanced back, Gaster was busy putting away things and cleaning up. He wasn't the only one who turned to other things to escape his problems.

He found himself setting out about an hour later, white pinpricks of light following through the trees. They would face the human together.


	4. Upon My Shoulders Your World is Leaning

The human was kind... at first. At the very least, they seemed to pretend that they fit in. He could see the dust on their shirt. Could sense the malice hiding behind their facade of a gentle expression. He knew Gaster could tell as well, even at the distance he was. It seemed there wasn't much to do about it, though. They would not get their happy ending this time.

He decided to return to the ruins' exit (Or the entrance, from his perspective), leaning against the door. "knock knock... heh... ...guess i won't be hearin' from ya anytime soon." he sighed, moving to get up. Then he heard shuffling on the other side. He hesitated, then tried again. "knock knock."

"Oh! You're here! ...Pardon my dismissal, but... You haven't seen a child come through, have you?" It was the sweet voice from earlier. He sighed, sliding down the door. He gave a grunt of affirmation, unable to give voice to much at that moment. "Have they... have they been treated alright? Have they been treating everyone alright?" the voice asked.

Sans sighed. "they've been met... as well as they could be for a human, i s'ppose. but they... uh... ..." he trailed off. "they weren't helpin' you with cleanin', we re they? ...'cause they sure are d u s t y." he remarked. He heard the silence, and took that as his answer. "look... i can't do much for them... and if they have a high enough LV by the time they reach the judgment hall, they're gonna have a bad time." He told the friendly voice. He knew who it was, but he didn't know how long this timeline would continue, so he wouldn't address it.

"I... Know. I can't ask you to promise me, but you will look after them, yes?" She asked. And he couldn't help the non-vocal agreement. He could promise to watch them. He only looked up when he heard a yipping. Gaster. He looked rattled, and his clothing was ripped. "What was that?" the voice asked, but he was already standing. Already running. His eyelights had vanished and he didn't know what to do.

Behind him, unnoticed, the door to the ruins opened an the friendly mother stepped out, watching the two skeletal monsters running off. She pressed a hand to her heart, then held fast in her resolve. She would follow. Her concern had outweighed her indecisiveness.

Gaster led him to the all too familiar spot. The dust was waiting, scarf waving forlornly from the mound. He felt like crying, but he was also beyond empty by then. He fell to his knees. "...did... did they kill anyone else?" he asked carefully. There was a sad, mournful pause, and then the blaster nodded. He carefully picked up the scarf, then wrapped in around his neck. He sat there for awhile until there was a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up and felt his throat seemingly close up.

"I am so sorry... This was... This was your brother, was it not? ...They did this." Toriel murmured. Sans slumped, then nodded. "...They must be stopped." She decided, voice firm. "I realize now what I allowed to leave. What I unknowingly let out of the ruins."

"it's fine, tori. i... i knew this was gonna happen. i've seen it before. goata say, i didn't expect you to show up though. this... is new." he admitted carefully. Then he noticed Gaster was changing. Enough so that he could speak. "somethin' up, g?"

Gaster nodded. "The human is aware of something being wrong. Papyrus must have said, or done something. Beyond that, I believe myself being presence is affecting things. I am an abnormality that should not exist." Toriel looked startled, then angry at his words. Before he could question why, she was already cutting him off.

"You have every right to exist as the next monster, abnormality or not. And even if you are not supposed to be here, you are now and we shall have to deal with it. Now, I must go find my child and stop them from harming any other."

"We should go with you then. I worry for those who may end up being caught in their path. Though... You are aware, Your Highness, that you may encounter His Majesty?" Gaster checked. At her frown and nod, he sighed. "Then it will be how it will be. ...We had best be off now." He changed back and shook himself, scraps falling off as his clothes were reduced to tatters.

Toriel managed to keep pace with Sans, though Gaster had easily pulled ahead and had taken on the role of scouting. It wasn't too long until Sans heard a sudden high-pitched whine and grabbed Toriel's hand. "i know a short-cut." he blurted, already teleporting them.

They landed amongst echo flowers and found Gaster facing off against the child, standing defensively in front of Undyne. The child turned, realizing it was surrounded. Then, with a wild and sadistic grin, it rushed diagonally and launched itself into the water.

"Sans! Alphys told me you'd be coming this way! I just didn't think you'd, uh, have a pet... guard... Thing?" She gestured at Gaster who yipped and then casually rushed into the water. They watched with wide eyes as he went down the stream.

Shortly after, Sans heard the loud whine.

Then he was waking up in bed, to Papyrus' voice. "ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"


	5. End of the Line...

Gaster still trotted out to get him breakfast, but it wasn't to make him comfortable. They both could remember, so there was no need for reassuring conversations. It did make Papyrus happy, though. "I'M SO GLAD YOU TWO ARE GETTING ALONG! YOU WERE LOOKING SAD ALL YESTERDAY!" Papyrus admitted, before patting his head. "REMEMBER OUR PATROL TODAY, ALRIGHT?" He asked, waiting long enough for a grunt of affirmation.

Gaster returned with food, then climbed up on the bed, sprawling out on it, but eyeing him with a knowing look. Great, another talk. He busied himself with food. Then, once his plate was clean, he sighed. "...they'll come again... and unlike last timeline, they know you're here. you're new. they'll keep doing this to see what you do." Sans admitted. Gaster gave a sad whine. "not your fault. i... actually think that was on me. you're part blaster, right? papyrus' death... that would have made the gaster part of you fall silent. leaving only the blaster, who sure as hell would follow my commands, even if they were only wistful thoughts."

Gaster huffed. Then the door swung open. Papyrus looked confused. "...SANS?" he questioned. He looked guilty, but also... sad and concerned. Then he sighed. "THEY WEREN'T DREAMS, WERE THEY?" Sans froze. "I MAY NOT BE THE BRIGHTEST, BUT I HAVE READ YOUR BOOKS WHEN YOU WERE BUSY. THINGS LIKE OTHER TIMELINES ARE BELIEVED TO EXIST. AND HUMANS ARE CRAZY POWERFUL, RIGHT? THEY WERE PLAYING AROUND WITH THE TIMELINE."

Turning to him, Gaster snorted. "I... FELT FUNNY WHEN YOU LOOKED AT GASTER WITH RELIEF. AT ME LIKE YOU WERE BEYOND HAPPY I WAS HERE. I FELT LIKE THIS HAD HAPPENED. I WAS WAITING FOR CONVERSATIONS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU... BUT IT SEEMS I DON'T NEED TO."

"you... you remember, paps?" He glanced to the skeleton on the bed. "...wait... that means tori might--" He leapt up. "paps, mind coming with me to the ruins door?" He rushed off without waiting. The two other skeletons followed. They arrived to find the kindly queen waiting. "tori! ...you... you're here."

Toriel nodded sagely. "I felt things were off. The child was no longer in my house. I remembered them. I could recall everything that had occurred and... I had to be sure." She looked to Gaster. "I recall things I do not previously remember... Only after I had met you."

Gaster shook, then shifted back. "...I told you. I am a glitch," Papyrus was gawking. "I... did not exist before. I would say that since you encountered the glitch, it changed your coding. As my stability is thanks to Sans' magic, I... I presume that this is a result of his own altered coding. Probably my coding altered yours so it was more like his. So you all recall because of me." He switched back, evidently no longer wanting to talk. He did, however, appear exhausted and as a result changed too far and ripped his clothes as he flopped over to curl up.

"SANS...?"

"...oh, yeah, uh... paps, this is gaster. he took care of us when we were kids. he was the royal scientist before he fell into the core. i... he ended up... elsewhere until he... well, he merged with one of the blasters and became this friendly bag of bones. not sure why we forgot about him. how he got back... or anything. but he ended up back."

Toriel looked behind her, then back to them. "I... had better watch for the child. I do regret being unable to continue this conversation, but I must know this child's intent." She headed back into the ruins.

Sans looked to Gaster. "...i think we should bring 'im to alphys and undyne. maybe even king fluffybuns. if we have more people to stop the child... maybe then we can get them to stop?" he suggested cautiously. Papyrus grinned at him, evidently proud of his brother for not taking this burden to bear on his lonesome. "hey, g, you gonna need to rest some more, or can we head over to waterfall?" he asked.

Slowly, the blaster climbed to his feet and shook. Then he looked to the scraps and whined, pawing his face to make sure the glasses were still there at least. He wriggled a bit, glad they were, then looked up to Sans to nod. Sans rolled his eyes and gestured for them to go. "...hold up... maybe it should be you and paps. if the human shows up, i can talk to it and stall it. if they come through, i'll call you to come back."

"OH! OF COURSE BROTHER... THOUGH, WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE FOR ME TO BE HERE--" He cut off as Gaster suddenly vanished. They both stood and looked at the empty space. "HUH?!? ...NOT HIM TOO!!! YOU TELEPORTING EVERYWHERE IS BAD ENOUGH!!!"

Sans shrugged. "well... that solves that. how about you go to your usual spot? recalibrate some of those puzzles." he suggested. Papyrus' eyes lit up, and the taller skeleton struck a pose.

"FEAR NOT! I SHALL NOT LET THEM KNOW THAT ANYTHING IS GOING ON!"

* * *

Gaster pawed towards the fish's house. He paused when he felt himself being watched. He sat and waved his tail. Then he got up, stretched, and headed to Hotland. He paused to make a trail of cups of water to the lab. Then he went in and waited. Undyne entered just as Alphys did. "O-o-oh, U-Undyne y-you're h-here." she stammered. She paused at Gaster, eyes widening. "Y-y-you too?! O-oh my... T-then it wasn't a-a dream!" she covered her face, breathing funny.

"Hey, Alphys, just take some deep breaths... Look, I don't know what you're doing, but could you maybe stop?" she directed her final statement to the blaster.

Then, suddenly,

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

 


	6. ...Don't tell me you're fine.

Gaster rattled in annoyance. "OH MY. THEY REALLY ARE DETERMINED, THAT ONE!" Papyrus rubbed his skull. "THOUGH, I AM GLAD THAT MISS TORIEL WILL BE ALRIGHT NOW!" He reached out and pet Gaster. "...DID YOU MANAGE TO DO WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO?" he asked the partially formed blaster.

The other shifted back as much as he could. "In part. Alphys and Undyne seemed to have already been aware, but the reset happened before I could reach the King." He explained, rubbing his skull. "I'm going to have to go back the first chance I--"

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

"oh my god. he isn't anymore." Sans said, shoving his blankets off his bed. "i am beyond done. what did they do, trip over their own shoelaces into the void?" He threw his hands up. "this kid is driving me--"

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

" _i am going to **e n d** this little freak._" He was teleporting, only stopping outside the ruins as he felt a weight on his sleeve. Gaster. He was shaking his head. "you're telling me you don't want this kid to just--"

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

"UGHHHHHHH!" This time, it was Papyrus that was frustrated. "LET US MAKE HASTE TO THE KING BEFORE THE CHILD 'RESET'S AGAIN." He suggested. With a quick teleport, they were in the throne room. Gaster shifted forms. "YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus hollared. "WE NEED--"

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

"...can we just.... give up?"

"NONSENSE! YOU LAZYBONE! WE MUST SEE THE KING!" Papyrus called. Gaster grabbed them both, maw around Papyrus' scarf and tail around Sans' arm. They were back in the throne room. "YOUR MAJESTY! WE REQUIRE YOUR AID."

"Oh my! You must have been in a hurry then--" He cut off, seeing Gaster. His eyes flickered with a strange recognition, but not of memory. "You got one in it's full form? Boy howdy, I don't recall the last time I saw a full one."

Gaster shifted and his eyes widened, then his face split into a grin. "There's my royal scientist! I knew you didn't just up and leave! Oh, silly me, that's right. You had your accident. It's alright, I had a friend who jumped timelines too." he reassured, to the skeleton's bewilderment.

Sans, looking uncomfortable, spoke up first. "uh... your majesty, i don't suppose..."

Asgore looked burdened. "I know about the time jumps. They happened with every child. It's because of their... what did you lot call it... Ah, right! Determination. Because of how determined the children are, they just keep skipping back in time. Been awhile since I encountered one so hellbent on resetting though."

"YOUR MAJESTY... WE WERE.... WONDERING IF YOU WOULD AID US IN STOPPING THE HUMAN. WE ALREADY HAVE QUITE THE TEAM MADE UP TO STOP THEM, BUT WE FIGURED FEW ARE AS POWERFUL AS YOU, AND--"

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

Gaster buried his muzzle in his claws. He garbled out Wingdings before sprinting out of the room. Sans groaned. "...well, at least we... we might have the king?" his phone buzzed with a text, and after a bit of deciphering (large hands + small buttons make for a messy text and a flustered king) he quickly gave a thumbs up. "we got him. the dream-urr team is on the scene." he winked.

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

All three skeletons were regretting their life choices. "...are they just... resetting out of spite?" he asked. Papyrus was already sending off a text to Toriel to make sure the human hadn't made it to them yet. To their surprise, they had. Sans cringed on hearing this. "it's like we went from someone who can barely play to someone who speedruns." His eyesockets blacked out. "oh god, did we literally face the easy opponent?"

Gaster got up, running out the door with the other two following to get into positions. While the Blaster stuck to the trees, Sans teleported in short bursts until he finally made it to the right spot. He kept mostly out of sight until they encountered him. They turned around without even letting him talk. Normally he would have acted surprised, but this human was... off. Not dust-coated, luckily, but... Scary nonetheless.

Then they took off, hiding behind the lamp. Sans came over, making his usual joke about the lamp. Papyrus played gullible idiot. At least for a moment. Then the human stepped out. "It's no fun if you're not scripted but playing the script." The child stated, opening their eyes. Bright red gaze settled on the treeline as their skin became pale, cheeks rosy, and their sweater became yellow and green.

Gaster leapt out, growling. But the human giggled. "There you are! Hah. The glitch to my anomaly. You know,  ~~The Player~~ was so silly. They let their sibling play, erasing all their data. They got so mad, especially since they couldn't win after. So they made a deal with me so I would make it easier. Funny, though, it didn't take much convincing to make them choose pacifist. Possibly because they wanted to see what you would do when the human stopped killing you to suddenly reset and befriend you all."

The three seemed to relax. For a moment. Then Sans spotted the knife and moved quickly. There was only one thing quicker-- Gaster.

\----

His mind was blank. Like it had been before, when he first woke up.

He looked at the pile of ashes before him, and then shook his head. He paused getting up, looking at himself. He was massive. Bigger than before. He looked to Sans, who looked stunned, then followed his gaze to his ribcage. He had absorbed the human's soul. He tried to turn back, but it hurt too much, so he lay down and warbled pathetically. The human's murderous instinct was there, but it was vastly overpowered by the blaster's loyalty and Gaster himself.

* * *

"So he  _absorbed_ the human's soul?!" There was a pained whine, then a snuffle as Gaster clawed at his snout, as if trying to get the human out of his head. "Then... We can give him the other souls and break the barrier, right?" Undyne asked.

Sans cringed. "we could, but... uh... we don't know how well g'll hold together. and all things considered, if the souls decide to rebel..." he shrugged.

Toriel shook her head. "But unless we some how find a way to remove the soul from him, which hasn't been done, he will either have to, or he will have to live with this new circumstance." she replied sadly.

Gaster warbled, then got up, shaking his head. He carefully moved over to them, wincing as he trampled flowers. Then he curled around the gathering, bringing them with him to the START screen. Two buttons awaited him-- 'CONTINUE' or 'RESET' He looked to them. "this is how they.... oh wow... ohhhhkay. welp, this is too much for me to handle right now. you guys make up your mind and i'll go with it."

"...This is how the children were able to turn back time? ...Then I suppose that resetting would simply bring back the child, yes?" Asgore looked to Gaster and Sans who shrugged. "If it returned the child, then we should." he stated. Toriel nodded slowly. Undyne hissed, but nodded as well. Alphys looked between the group, then nodded with a helpless sigh. Papyus nodded, striking a pose.

"WE SHALL RESET TO BRING BACK THE CHILD! THEN WE SHALL TEACH THEM HOW TO love, NOT LOVE."

Gaster looked to the group, then pressed the 'RESET' button carefully.

* * *

His mind had blanked out. When he properly looked around, though, he was disheartened. There sat the mound of ashes. And within his ribcage, the soul.

 


	7. To Fix These Mistakes.

It didn't work. He slumped, ever so slightly, then garbled out Wingdings. He got up and headed out of Snowdin, ignoring the looks. He passed through Waterfall and Hotlands until he made it to the throne room. He waited for the others to gather so they could talk. He tried to talk, but was ignored until finally, he gave a high-pitched whine, similar to his laser charging and gained the attention he desired. They watched as he set himself down on the ground, forelegs raising. Then, impeccably, he began to sign with his claws, clicking every once in an action.

' _How about we not argue, and you all allow me to explain an idea I have before we jump to rash ideas? ...Although the DT extractor would be a nice idea, Alphys- I do not doubt your intelligence- I merely believe it would only remove the determination, not the soul. So the issue would remain. As for giving me all the souls... I am only really held together by bones, magic, the void, and what remains of my soul. So... Perhaps not. Plus, I would not be in full control. So... as it stands, both of those ideas would best not be considered for this moment. My only idea is to manually access the coding- similar to performing a reset- but to instead rewrite the code so that this Player has it once more. It may not be the best solution, but I'd rather not die, so perhaps it is adequate compared to the others._ '

"well, aren't you gently-spoken for a soul-empowered monster." Sans remarked with a snicker, then he shook his head. "all things considered, g, it's your decision."

Gaster nodded, but still looked to the others. Hesitant, they agrees, and he took off alone to the reset screen. There, he wandered until he spotted it. A spot where he could see the coding. The soul in his chest fluttered anxiously, but it went with him so it could regain it's form. He lay down and stared at the code, picking at it mentally as he deciphered it. Slowly but surely he went through all the visible coding to find where he was.

It took awhile. A very long while. The others didn't realize it, frozen in time as they were, but The Player seemed anxious, continuously trying to take back control. But he was busy. And then he found it, moments before his tag-along gave up and got rid of them for good. He deftly enabled a command prompt, working his knowledge from the void and pulled up the coding he wanted. Then he altered it to what he needed. He turned back to see The Player, once more with their soul. But not Chara. No. This was the one the files referred to as 'Frisk'. He waved his tail as they smiled at him, then pressed the Reset button with determination.

* * *

"ISN'T HE ADORABLE, SANS?"

Gaster gave a strange growl, tail waving. The two stared at him before Sans snorted. "purring? really now, g, you're something else. still, you're back to you and we're back here. you musta-rd did something right." he winked. At Papyrus' look his grin widened. "oh, you know you  _relish_ my puns. but consider this my way of playing  _ketchup_ for all the punning times i missed."

Papyrus threw his hands into the air. "I WILL NOT  _CONDIMENT_ YOUR USE OF PUNS, EVEN IF I DO FIND THEM QUITE AMUSING AND THEREFORE LOATHE MYSELF FOR IT. IT IS NOT A PROPER FORM OF JAPING, SANS!" He accused, then looked to the snickering blaster. "OH, YOU ARE PLEASED WITH THIS SITUATION? JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM DO THIS EVERY DAY."

"alright, i know we're having fun, but we goat-a check on toriel and the kid."

Gaster followed, staying by Sans' side as they headed to the Ruin's door. Toriel stepped out, smiling as she held Frisk's hand. The child clutched a stick, and wore a bandage, not at all interested in the locket or knife. They grinned at the trio of skeletons before hugging them.

* They tell you that they're sorry. They don't always have control of The Player's actions, but The Player seemed to have recognized this copy was different. They intend to get a new copy, but not before they get everyone to the surface to be happy.

"no need to worry, kiddo. we're rooting for ya." he replied.

* * *

The group would make their way through the underground, group growing larger until finally, they met Asgore. It was not long before Flowey would show up and attempt to use the souls, before becoming Asriel. The Barrier would break, and they would find themselves on the surface.

Gaster sat, tail waving slowly as he watched the sun. He looked up to Sans, tilting his head. "...heh... just didn't think we'd make it here again, you know. thought we'd be stuck, trapped in that cycle. and yet, here we are..." he looked like he was ready to cry, but shook his head, smile widening to become real. "i'm glad we made it up. and that you're here with us."

Gaster snorted, then looked back. He looked to Sans as if to say 'hold that thought' before heading back into the mountain. Sans, interested, followed, along with Frisk. The others seemed concerned, but maintained the plan to head down the mountain. Frisk and Sans stopped along the way to let the residents know of the open barrier before they followed him. They made it to the entrance to the ruins before Frisk seemed to understand. A familiar goat was waiting. "...You should just go. Forget about me." he said softly. But Gaster moved forwards, carefully heading to the flowers. He summoned his magic, wincing only slightly at the strain on his barely-holding soul and then combed the flowers to collect whatever dust he could. When he had enough he brought it to the other. He was fading away. But Gaster vanished, returning with a familiar red substance. He added it to the dust and the flower, and the soul, carefully, until it formed what seemed to be a floral goat.

"...Well, I mean, it's something?" Flowey remarked. Then he watched Frisk's face light up with determination. "Hey now, what are you making that face for?" he sounded concerned.

Gaster looked to Frisk, who nodded. The child produced their soul and Sans' eyes went wide. "are you two sure--" he cut off, seeing their expressions. "that expression you two are making... you're gonna do this, even if i tell you not to, huh? ...alright. Be careful."

They combined and entered the menu. The two skimmed the code, now aware of what they needed. Once they located the altered code, they picked at it until they found the original coding for both parts. They carefully recoded the soul into existence and put it back into Asriel. Then, with some hesitance, they recoded the children... and Chara. Then they pulled themselves apart and hit continue.

The seven children lay on the flower bed, slowly sitting up. The goat monster looked around before settling on their best friend. He teared up as Chara got up and went over to him, slugging him in the arm. "What are you looking at, you big cry baby?" they joked, then looked to Gaster and Frisk, nodding. They would not hurt anyone... after all, what need did they have?

Frisk did pause, though, looking at Gaster. * We could change you back * they suggested. * I mean, we already did with...

Gaster shook his skull. He forced himself to turn back, then rubbed at the areas to the sides of his mouth. "No. I... I've grown comfortable being like this. This... This is fine. Besides, I doubt my soul can handle a repeat performance and we are not doing this all again if we reset." He informed them. "No. I think I'll be fine staying like this. Being like this. ...Now, let's get back to everyone. It wouldn't do to have them worry."

He changed back and stayed at the rear of the large group of children (or, children-sized) and trotted easily beside the human and his ex-ward. He was proud of what he had done, even if he regretted not being there for so long. He was there now, and that was what mattered... No. They were what mattered. He found himself smiling at that thought, looking over at the two.

This would be fine.

 


	8. Prologue

Gaster hadn't managed to maintain his old form, but that was okay, he believed. He simply adapted. Sans bought him altered clothing and Papyrus helped him walk on two legs. He did exercises with his hands until he could sign fluently and understandably. He also had Toriel and Undyne help him with his magic so he could sign words with it.

For the most part, he worked as Frisk's bodyguard, employed by the King so it would be 'official'. Since he hadn't technically killed any of the children, the humans were much more relaxed with monsterkind. The children adapted to their lives again, some choosing to live with monsters in the case of not having any family anymore. Chara and Asriel returned to their family's warm embrace, and that brought Toriel and Asgore back together. Any previous grievances fixed.

Alphys and Undyne got married soon after arriving to the surface, and while Undyne went to work for the police, Alphys had Gaster and Sans help her start up a new lab. This lab focused on adapting monster things to current human technology and biology. They also worked to help the Amalgamates return to their regular forms. Eventually, they did find a way to split them and all returned to their families happily.

Things weren't always pleasant, however, as human hate-groups and monster hate-groups did spring up, loathing the other. They, however, either dusted or killed themselves, or were overall ignored. With the exception of some voices shouting loud enough to be heard, they were mostly unable to get their words across, and those loud enough often were criticized for their racism, lack of facts, or other such reasons. Still, they existed, and it was enough to keep most of monsterkind on their toes.

Frisk's parents arrived, hoping to take them back, but Frisk refused. Several court cases were made, but were overruled or dropped. Several kidnapping attempts were made, and at least two thwarted assassinations before the parents and all involved were locked away. Frisk still visits them, when they have time, but are happy with Goat Mom and Goat Dad.

Papyrus, although unable to join the royal guard, bounced between bodyguard, police officer, and even briefly on a reality TV show with Mettaton based off Monster Bachelors before he decided to go back to school to become a chef. His food since improved, and everyone is fond of his spaghetti... when he hasn't made it twelve nights in a row. 

Sans began work at Alphys' lab, recovering HP and his mood, so it now sits at a healthy '20' instead of a saddening '1'. As a result, he's become more active, and tries to be apart of not only Frisk' life, but Papyrus' as well. He remains best pun-pals with Toriel, both often having long conversations consisting of jokes or puns.

Toriel herself has opened a school for humans and monsters, and is quite proud of her students. Her fridge has never seen so much love. Beyond that, she also gets letters every day from the children whom she had protected in the underground. From time to time, she works on a cookbook for snails as well as pies.... sometimes the two combined. She hopes to one day publish it.

Asgore became a gardener, and boasts the best lawn/garden in the entire state. He otherwise is helping The Ambassador, or working on a side business project of a landscaping company. Which may get off the ground when he isn't busy. Other than that, he's been kept busy by his children, doing the most he can to be the best dad for them.

Everyone still remembers the resets and their struggle, but it's begun to fade by now. Their concerns about The Player have, for the most part, been ignored or avoided in discussions. Since Frisk had Asgore destroy the reset button, they lost majority of their worries.

Overall, this has been a happy ending for them all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...But things could have turned out much, much different.


End file.
